Novel organic arsenic molecule darinaparsin: Development of IV and oral forms

8501

Background: Darinaparsin (ZIO-101) is a novel organic arsenical active against diverse cancers in vitro, and in vivo. Darinaparsin i.v. activity in lymphoma is being evaluated in a phase II study. Darinaparsin is orally bioavailable; the oral form is being investigated in two phase I studies in patients with advanced malignancies. Methods: Phase II trial is being conducted in patients diagnosed with advanced lymphomas who had ≥ 1 prior therapy. Patients receive 300 mg/m2/day of darinaparsin i.v. for 5 consecutive days every 28 days. Efficacy and safety are evaluated by standard criteria. Phase I oral dose escalation studies are being conducted in patients with advanced malignancies and explore safety, MTD, DLTs and preliminary efficacy of continuous and intermittent dosing schedules. Starting continuous dose is 100 mg BID for 3 weeks with 1 week rest, starting intermittent dose is 300 mg twice weekly for 3 weeks followed by 1 week rest. Results: The phase II study has accrued 28 lymphoma patients (21 non-Hodgkin's, 7 Hodgkin's); median age at baseline 61 years, ECOG ≤2, median number of prior therapies 3. Seventeen subjects have received at least 2 cycles of darinaparsin and are evaluable for efficacy. Of these, 1 subject (PTCL) has achieved a complete response, 3 - partial responses (2 marginal zone, 1 Hodgkin's), and 4 stable disease (2 PTCL, 1 DLBCL, 1 Hodgkin's). A total of 63 cycles of darinaparsin have been administered to subjects with lymphoma. No Gr. 3 or higher drug-related AEs were reported. Two SAEs were considered possibly drug-related (fall; neutropenic fever). Phase I studies accrued 35 patients; median age at baseline 58 years, ECOG ≤2, median number of prior therapies 3. Predominant tumor types include: colorectal (17), pancreatic (3), NHL (3). Current darinaparsin dose levels: continuous 200 mg BID, 2× weekly 900 mg. Of 18 patients evaluable for efficacy, 10 demonstrate SD ≥ 3 cycles. Oral darinaparsin bioavailability is 58%. Drug-related AEs include nausea/vomiting, fatigue, decreased appetite/anorexia. Conclusions: Darinaparsin is active in heavily pretreated patients with advanced lymphoma and has been very well tolerated. Oral darinaparsin is also well tolerated, and shows early activity.

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Salvage therapy of refractory and relapsed acute leukemia with high dose mitoxantrone and high dose cytarabine

We have assessed the outcome of 66 refractory and relapsed acute leukemia patients treated with high dose mitoxantrone and cytarabine. Therapy consisted of a total dose of 40-60 mg/m2 mitoxantrone and 3 g/m2 of cytarabine daily on 5 consecutive days. A total of 28 patients were treated for primary resistant and 38 patients for early or late relapsed leukemia. A total of 35 patients achieved CR. Four patients died during the induction course. Toxicity was acceptable and comparable to other salvage regimens. The median disease-free and overall survivals were 4 and 6 months, respectively. Although this regimen is effective in achieving remission in refractory leukemia, its duration is short.

Ischemic hepatitis associated with toxic epidermal necrolysis in a cirrhotic patient treated with cefuroxime

Ischemic hepatitis is rare in patients with liver cirrhosis and is usually precipitated by hypotension due to gastrointestinal bleeding. We describe a cirrhotic patient who developed ischemic hepatitis as a consequence of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) caused by cefuroxime.

Diagnosis deferred--the clinical spectrum of diagnostic uncertainty

This study attempts to define the term "Diagnosis Deferred" (DD) and determine its natural history and outcome. It is suggested that such a "non-diagnosis" should be used when the clinical and laboratory picture cannot be explained by any known disease entity after a minimum of 5 days hospitalization. During a 9 year period (1972-1980) 250 patients (1.8%) were identified as warranting the term DD from a total of 14,098 admissions to a department of Internal Medicine. Their average stay in hospital was 11.5 days. There was no sex difference between the patients, whose average age was 42.8 +/- 17.6 years (mean +/- SD; range 14-93). Three complaints predominated: joint pains (21.6%), abdominal pain (20.4%) and chest pain (16.8%). In 103 of the patients, there was follow-up information until the diagnosis was made or for at least 24 months (average 53.0 +/- 40.0 months, range 2-186). These patients were representative of the original cohort in both age, sex and classification of symptoms. Forty-three patients (42%) were subsequently diagnosed. 58% of these patients were diagnosed as a result of a change in or appearance of a clinical symptom during the follow-up period. "The survival of diagnostic uncertainty" in 50% of the patients was 84.5 months (7 years) with a range of 2-13 years. This time was significantly shorter for chest pain than for abdominal pain (33 months vs 87 months) (p = 0.003). In patients with "Diagnosis Deferred", a diagnosis was reached in 42%; in 22% the symptoms disappeared leaving 36% undiagnosed, and a continuing clinical challenge.